"PRIME MARLBOROUGH"

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1246, 30 September 1911, Page 16

"PRIME MARLBOROUGH"

HIGHER QUALITY MUTTON AND LAMB. Tlio land and climate of Marlborough, iu combination, aro scarcely excelled in any part of New Zealand for growing wool and mutton. Considerably over one and ft half million acres aro devolod to sheep, and on some of tlio lauds which liavo been clcarcd and pnwu iu English gTass, up to four sheep to tho acre can bo carried. The official returns for 11)10 gave tho number of slioep in the province as 1,073,000, an incroaso of 53,000 over tho previous year. In tho Sounds district large areas are being cleared and slocked with shoep. Tho average weight of Marlborough lambs exported during last season was almost equal to tho famous prime Canterbury, and tho quality is so much aliko that Marlborough lamb is shipped Homo with tho same marks and grade as Canterbury, and realises the samo pricc in the English market. Hape and turnips do well in tho district, and stock fattens easily, The frozen meat industry is on the up grade in tho prcvinc; aud exports aro rapidly increasing. During the year ended June 30, 1011, 81,200 carcasses of lamb and 23,33'. carcasscs of mutton wore frozen at tho Piclon works. Tho rate for freezing is one-eighth of a penny higher than at Christchurch, bnt concessions have Dcon granted by the company which will liavo tho effect of greatly increasing tho number of fats sent to tho works. The concession is in the nature of a rebate of one-sixteenth of a ijcnuy per pound when one hundred thousand head aro put through and oneeighth of a penny when one hundred aud twenty thousand are put through. The .-•tock raisers secured tho rebate of onesixteenth of a penny last year, and they confidently hope to secure tho larger amount during the coming season.

The (locks 011 tho high hilly country in Marlborough arc almost exclusively mcrir nos of a very high class, which clip heavy fleeces, and on the flats and lower hills halfbreds and crossbreds. Following are tho principal breeders:— Merino: Charles Goultcr (who iron tho gold medal at St. Louis Exhibition against seven thousand competitors), Carter Trustees, and Mrs. Renwick. Lincolns: D. Bishell, D. 11. Godsiff, and J. Dunstan. English Leicestors: G. F. Bnlka, C. F. Murray, and A. J.. Murray, Romney Marsh: J. Thompson and W. Bell. Shropshire: H. D. Vavasour. There is very keen inquiry from Canterbury for Marlborough merino ewes for breeding halfbreds. All available have already been purchased for forward delivery during, tho comitic s&iion. The principal merino flocks aro "Bankhouse" (Munro Trustees), "Leefield" (Dillon Trustees), "Ilillesden" (Carter Trustees), "Dunigreo" (Mrs, Remviek), "Birch Hill" (G. H. Andrew), "Benhopi" (R. J. Bell), "Upcott" and "Middlehurst" (J. <uid \V. B. Stevenson), "Langridge" (G. Shipley), "Glenlee" (W. Shipley), "Altimarloch" (A. C. M'liao), "Blairich" and "Ilawkcsbury" (Charles Goultcr), "Brancot" (Bernard Ward), "Erina" and "Lansdowno" (G. F. Watts), "Meadowbank" (G. T. Seymour), "Gladstone" (S. M. Neville. The principal halfbred and threo-quar-terbred flocks are: "Ugbr'ooke" (H. D. Vnvasour), "Flaxbourno" (Clifford Bros.), "The Delta" (W. Pollard), "Vernon" (B. Coleman), "Timara" and "Tyntesfield" (R. F. Goulter), "Avondalo" (C. do V. t'cschemaker-Shute), "Erina" and "Lansdowno" (G. F. Watts), "Hillesden" (Carter Trustees), "Benhopai" (R. Bell), "Riverlands" (Adam Bell), "Flaxmcro" (W.' ■Bell), . '•'Richmond, Brook" (F. H. Rich-, moniiji'.' * 'fbunfgrpe"' (Mrs. Renivick),"Ivitu Bay," Pclorus (Harris Bros.), "Marshlands" (Chaytor and Company), "Sodgmero" (Bursill and Blick), "Thurston" (S. M. Niville), "Brancot" (Bernard Ward). Some of the above flocks clip as much as 101b. and over of wool to the fleece.